Meet the 2025 Speakers
Meet the Speakers for the 2025 Housing Data and Analytics Summit
Jo Hamilton
Director, ICT & Digital Transformation at Karbon HomesJo Hamilton has spent the past 8 years working in the housing sector. The past 2 years as Director, ICT & Digital Transformation at Karbon Homes, accountable for the management of the groups technology activities and shaping the future digital transformation strategy. Prior to that Jo worked as Head of Digital at Home Group, devising and implementing their digital strategy, piloting emerging technologies and introducing new digital ways of working. Before joining the housing sector Jo worked in media, spending most of her career at the BBC working in various roles spanning strategy, data, business change and digital transformation, including launch of BBC websites and BBC iPlayer.
Sean Lawless
Director of Customer Experience & Transformation, North StarSean is the Director of Customer Experience & Transformation at North Star, a Platinum Investors in People housing association based in the Northeast of England, managing over 4,000 homes, including supported housing schemes. Sean leads on embedding data-driven decision making across North Star, ensuring insight informs strategy, service improvement, and regulatory compliance. He is responsible for harnessing innovation and analytics to tackle complex challenges, improve customer experience, and drive sustainable change. At the Summit, Sean will share practical examples of how North Star is using data to strengthen tenant voice, improve performance, and deliver meaningful outcomes
Anna-Marie Lawrence-Lovell
Director Data & Analytics, Governance and Transformation, L&Q GroupAnna Marie is a data and analytics leader with over 15 years’ experience driving innovation and transformation across the public and housing sectors. Currently Interim Director of Data & Analytics at London & Quadrant, she leads data strategy, governance, and business intelligence for an organisation supporting over 250,000 residents.
Previously, she developed Golding Homes’ first data strategy, boosting customer satisfaction by 27% and securing £60m in investment through actionable insights. A recognised sector innovator, Anna Marie was Highly Commended for Partnership of the Year at the Kent Housing Group Awards and regularly shares thought leadership on data quality, customer segmentation, and continuous improvement.
She holds a Master’s in Strategic Planning and brings a forward-thinking approach to leveraging data as a strategic asset.
Dr. Odayne Haughton
Lecturer, Information Security, University of West of EnglandDr. Odayne Haughton is a strategic data leader with cross-sector expertise in housing, banking, and education. Currently heading data governance at Magna Housing, he is shaping enterprise-wide frameworks, enhancing data maturity, and future-proofing digital strategy.
With experience across 23 jurisdictions, Odayne brings a global, culturally adaptive lens to data challenges in social housing. In the UK, he has driven innovation within the Welsh Government, local authorities, and academia—turning data governance into a culture-building enabler that unlocks insight and impact.
His recent work includes developing a scalable data maturity model and supporting long-term data quality evaluation. A recognised voice in international data conversations, Odayne is passionate about transforming legacy systems into trusted sources of truth that deliver better outcomes for tenants and communities.
Carolina Padovezi de Oliveira
Head of Corporate Services, Manningham Housing AssociationCarolina is the Head of Corporate Services at Manningham Housing Association and Chair of the Housing AI Group. With a strong background in marketing, communications, and digital transformation, she leads innovative projects that integrate artificial intelligence into housing operations. Carolina holds a Master’s in AI and was recently named one of the Top 30 Housing Champions and Inside Housing’s 40 Under 40. She is passionate about leveraging emerging technologies to improve services, empower teams, and create more efficient, inclusive housing systems.
Laura Wales
Head of Data, Raven Housing TrustMark joined Raven in 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience from across the public sector in Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire, where he worked in education, children’s services, and social care. Prior to joining Raven, he served as Director of Finance for Sussex Police from 2010, and later held the same role within Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Commissioning from 2016. His career reflects a strong track record of financial leadership in complex public service environments.
A qualified accountant and member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Mark's strategic approach and commitment to service improvement continue to play a key role in Raven’s financial resilience and long-term planning.
Stephen Russell
Director of Data, Strategy and TechnologyStephen joined policing in 2018, taking up the role of Head of Analysis and Service Improvement when Warwickshire became a standalone force. He brought extensive experience from the housing and care sector, having worked across both public and private organisations. Most notably, he spent a significant part of his career at a large housing association in Birmingham, where he served as Director of Corporate Affairs, overseeing performance, strategy, research, data analysis, and communications.
As Head of Analysis and Service Improvement, Stephen was responsible for a broad portfolio including performance, strategy, governance, audit, HMICFRS liaison, consultation, diversity, and records management. More recently, he led the development of the force’s transformation programme and took on responsibility for change management. His current directorate brings together analysis and service improvement, digital services, and information assurance, supporting the force’s ambition to fully harness technology.
Sarah Bridges
Data Governance Manager, Selwood HousingSarah is a data governance leader with deep expertise in the social housing sector and local government. As Group Data Governance Manager, she develops frameworks that embed accountability, transparency, and trust in data.
Sarah is passionate about collaboration and building high-performing teams and communities, believing effective governance is a shared responsibility and thrives on bringing people together to align on purpose, solve problems, and build a culture where data is valued and drives meaningful change.
Mark Baker
Executive Director Resources & Deputy Chief Executive, Raven Housing TrustMark joined Raven in 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience from across the public sector in Surrey, Sussex, and Hampshire, where he worked in education, children’s services, and social care. Prior to joining Raven, he served as Director of Finance for Sussex Police from 2010, and later held the same role within Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Commissioning from 2016. His career reflects a strong track record of financial leadership in complex public service environments.
A qualified accountant and member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Mark's strategic approach and commitment to service improvement continue to play a key role in Raven’s financial resilience and long-term planning.
Simon Asplen-Taylor
CEO and Founder, VALSTRSimon is the CEO and Founder of VALSTR the world’s first Enterprise Data and AI Planning (EDAP) solution and also advisor and coach to Exec, Board, and Data Leaders in the areas of Data, Analytics and AI.
He is also a bestselling author of Data and Analytics Strategy for Business (2022), an Amazon #1 title now in its second edition. The book is widely used by organisations to guide their data, analytics, and AI strategies. Simon has been awarded the titles of ‘Europe’s Most Influential Data Leader’ and ‘Most Influential London CEO in Data’. He has led some of the largest data-driven transformations in Europe and was the first Chief Data Officer in the UK.
Simon possesses a unique breadth and depth of data experience, covering more than 35 years across numerous industries. He has served as CDO for a number of FTSE firms, including Bupa, IBM, Tesco, UBS, Rackspace, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He implemented the Data and Analytics capabilities for a UK regulator, resulting in the first detection of insider dealing in the UK. He also led the strategy and business case for a leading UK bank to generate £1bn of incremental revenue per annum, the biggest business case made for data in Europe.
Simon is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and an appointed member of the RSS AI Task Force.
Stephen Batley
Assistant Director of Business Improvement, Together Housing GroupStephen is the Assistant Director of Business Improvement at Together Housing Group in the North of England, with over thirty years of experience in the social housing sector. A Chartered Member of the CIH, Stephen began his career in frontline housing management before leading the transformation of the Group’s Customer Services function. This included establishing a new Customer Contact Centre and enhancing service delivery and customer satisfaction through innovative use of emerging technologies.
For the past nine years, Stephen has directed the Group’s Business Improvement strategy, focusing on people, processes, and technology through effective project delivery. A strong advocate for data-driven decision-making, he has championed improvements in data quality, governance, and the development of a robust internal data culture—laying the foundation for the Group’s advancement in data science.
In 2025, Stephen led the team that won the Housing Digital – Housing Technology Award for ‘Best Use of Automation or AI’ with a pioneering project that blended advanced data science with traditional housing management to help prevent tenancy failure.
Adam Cresser
Director Data and Analytics, Notting Hill GenesisAdam has 19 years experience in the sector with Local Authorities and Housing associations. Working across a range of functions in senior leadership and Director roles including Housing Management, Repairs, Business Improvement and Compliance, Technology, as well as establishing and leading NHGs Data strategy.
Adam is currently Notting Hill Genesis’s Data & AI director, driving business change and improving outcomes for customers through the use of data and AI. His teams have been recognised in and out of sector for their innovative approach to data governance, human centred design and AI. He is a chartered member of CIH and an active member in data networks in and outside of sector. He has specialisms in unlocking business value from technical capabilities & platforms, transformation and change, and seeding innovation including AI within traditional settings.
